The 76ers looked poised to take the top spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings Wednesday night against the Celtics. Philadelphia was playing at home, while Boston was missing two key pieces from its lineup with guard Jaylen Brown and forward Kristaps Porzingis.
However, the Sixers were playing the second of back-to-back games, coming off a 132–126 loss to the Pacers. That may have been the difference in the Celtics’ 117-107 win, carried by Jayson Tatum’s 29 points and 27 from Derrick White.
After the game, Sixers star Joel Embiid didn’t cite the schedule as an excuse for their loss. But he did say something about the Celtics that raised some eyebrows.
